Tracklist

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Review: You’ve really gotta hand to Takefumi Haketa. His soundtracks might not be packed with diverse melodies, but he sure knows how to compose themes that are pleasant and catchy while also arranging those themes in such a way that their presentation is different enough that I won’t mind listening to those same melodies come up over and over. It’s not an easy feat to pull off, but Haketa sure did a decent job of it when he composed the soundtrack to Aoi Hana. That said, Aoi Hana is arguably not the best example of this; it’s in his music for Mahou Tsukai ni Taisetsu na koto (Someday’s Dreamers) that he really excels at that craft.

The first time I listened to the anime’s main theme in “Where the sky and earth meet” so long ago, I was rendered speechless by its charm and beauty and I continue to love this piece to this day. The manner in which it evokes a pastoral setting is impeccable; its measured piano introduction channels a sense of innocence and the guitar accompaniment conjures images of a lush, green countryside complete with rolling hills where the grass is waving along, brushed by the breeze that flutters to and fro. The shift over to an Irish air, courtesy of the tin whistle, reinforces that rustic image, and the children’s chorus that takes this song towards the end fills me with an aching nostalgia to revisit the happy times in my childhood for memory’s sake.

Where the sky and earth meet

[Audio clip: view full post to listen]
The second track, titled “Midnight summer dream,” is used as Yume’s theme. It’s quieter compared to the preceding track, with a piano accompanied by a harp and some chimes to depict the character’s reserved, yet kind nature. The presentation isn’t nearly as engaging since it takes one basic melody and iterates upon it through the addition of other instruments and another use of the children’s choir to impart that charm and innocence, making one’s enjoyment dependent on how much you like that melody. Following that is Oyamada’s theme, “Heart of ice ~ After you’ve left,” which builds a layer of mystery through a reserved piano melody that depicts a person hiding his past and the sorrows that he’s endured. It’s emotionally heavy; you can feel the extent of Oyamada’s pain as the piece proceeds along, but underneath all that is a kind-hearted person, evident in the nuanced string section which supports the piano part.

Heart of ice ~ After you’ve left

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Of the major character themes, I prefer Kera’s theme (“Sunflower ~ Surrounded by the wind of light”) over Yume’s and Oyamada’s because it’s got a spunky feel to it. The guitar effectively sets the rhythm as the violins and piano weave in and out, creating a bouncy piece that also soothes since I can’t help but feel that aura of warmth and optimism pour forth.

Sunflower ~ Surrounded by the wind of light

[Audio clip: view full post to listen]
So having established the main themes for this soundtrack, I’ll say this: you’ll be hearing them a lot if you go through this album from start to finish. Though the dangers of the music becoming boring certainly do exist, Haketa dodges them through the strength of the melodies and the stylistic changes that he puts into each arrangement. For example, the main theme makes for a lively Irish jig in “Days of Pachanga,” Oyamada’s theme feels much warmer with “In flower language, it is love’s” guitar duet, and so buoys the listener with the hope that Oyamada will find his happiness after all, and Kera’s theme receives a wonderful New Age guitar treatment in “Kidokorone ~ doze.” For her part, Yume’s growth is illustrated wonderfully in “‘Sincerely,’” which moves at a graceful pace, displaying confidence, overall earnestness, and optimism for the road ahead but still possessing the kindness we’ve come to know and love.

Days of Pachanga

[Audio clip: view full post to listen]

Kidokorone ~ doze

[Audio clip: view full post to listen]

“Sincerely”

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And lest you think those themes are all that Haketa puts forth in this album, he does mix in a lively salsa piece in “Hot frenzy” though my favorite out of the non-themed tracks is by far “Home country of a water imp” with its Irish reel. If you’ve read my thoughts on Durarara!!’s soundtrack, you’ll know that Celtic music is a particular weakness of mine and with “Home country,” I find the energy it pours forth to be utterly irresistible, setting it apart as one of the best tracks on this album.

Hot frenzy

[Audio clip: view full post to listen]

Home country of a water imp

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Mahou Tsukai ni Taisetsu na koto might reuse a lot of its melodic themes, but the slight changes Takefumi Haketa makes to the music brings out different facets of the anime’s characters while also reflecting the extent of their development and them coming to terms with who they are. And with all the different renditions that are available, from the stately string quartets to the other cultural styles that Haketa employs, it’s rarely, if ever, boring.

Rating: Excellent

It seems like forever since I’ve written up anything related to the MALKeionbu (alternatively known as the MyAnimeList Music Piece of the Week Club), but I figured now that we’ve entered our 25th week of voting, there’s something special to be had in this moment. 25 represents a pretty significant psychological barrier, for me at least, because, let’s face it, keeping a weekly event running for 25 consecutive weeks with few hiccups along the way is a pretty huge feat. And for that, I’d like to thank all of those who’ve directly participated whether it’s in track nomination or voting, in making this such an awesome event.

This milestone also offers an excellent opportunity to look back on all the tracks that have come and gone. The weekly process of nominating 7-10 tracks for 25 consecutive weeks yields a whole hell of a lot of anime music of all styles and rhythms. We’ve gone from simple emotions like Love and Despair, scene depictions like Action and Cityscapes, works from a single composer, to examining music covering various styles (Funky/Groovy) and instruments used (Piano, Electric Guitar). The thing that blows my mind the most is the club members’ ability to come up with a pretty good set of tracks week after week and I’ve yet to go through a week where I didn’t learn something new or find some album or composer to check out. Then there are the discussions that result during the voting phase that have been enjoyable to take part in, because through that, you get a better understanding for people’s tastes and opinions which in turn, helps you appreciate the music more. So it’s been a great learning process through and through!

With that in mind, let’s turn to some of the pieces that really struck a chord with me in some way or other. For the purposes of this list, neither tracks that I’ve nominated nor tracks that I’ve heard extensively are eligible since a big part of what makes this club fun is the process of discovering new pieces. So here are my picks:

Week 2 – Love
Anime Title: Giniro no Kami no Agito
Track Title: Ai no Melody
[Audio clip: view full post to listen]
Comments: Man, even after all this time, this piece refuses to get out of my playlist and the funny thing is that I didn’t even give it points when I had the opportunity to vote for it! And yet, this piece continues to grow on me. The more I listen, the more I notice the little things, like the way she sings the line, “Ai no melodyyyyy” (thanks to Omisyth for getting me to pay close attention to that part) that enhance the track and make it as beautiful as it is. It also got me to take a look at the soundtrack (composed by Taku Iwasaki) and that too, was a very nice experience all around.

Week 3 – Lost
Anime Title: Pokemon Heroes
Track Title: Search for the Girl
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Comments: “Search for the Girl” grabbed me with a sense of energy and purpose that you can definitely hear through the music. Furthermore, the music makes for a good picker-upper because the the violin and accordion parts play really well together to create that sense of the grand adventure that works well on its own. What this piece manages to show is that Pokemon music need not suck and its quality virtually assures it a place in my playlist for a good long while.

Week 4 – Legendary
Anime Title: Gigantic Formula
Track Title: Main theme v.0
[Audio clip: view full post to listen]
Comments: MAJESTIC! That’s what this track is. The way the track just crescendos in still leaves me in a state of awe every time I hear it, as it instills within me a sense of the story’s epic scope filled with struggles, tragedies, and triumphs. This piece also served as my first introduction to Hiroyuki Sawano and this introduction has been rewarding. The music from Gigantic Formula is gorgeous and I really liked his versatility in moving into rock in his compositions for Sengoku Basara.

Week 5 – Pop Vocals
Anime Title: Top wo Nerae! 2 Diebuster
Track Title: Groovin’ Magic
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Comments: It’s really too catchy for its own good. I mean, ROUND TABLE’s music has always had this sweetness to it like the ARIA EDs, but this one just takes the cake. I’ll just blame the melody for having that catchiness that ingrains itself in so well in my head and never quite lets go. I’ve often found myself humming this song and not realizing that I am until about halfway through.

Oddly enough, half of the list comes from the first 5 weeks. I think a part of it has to do with the time span because these tracks have had more plays compared to some of the more recent stuff. Or maybe actually blogging it helps my memory a bit more than just posting my thoughts in the voting thread itself. Anyhow, let’s skip past a few weeks where we hit

Week 11 – Discovery
Anime Title: Someday’s Dreamers
Track Title: Where the Sky and the Earth Meet
[Audio clip: view full post to listen]
Comment: The piece starts off quietly enough before it comes forth with a very beautiful piano melody. In listening to this, I just can’t help but be drawn in by its sweetness and the feeling of childhood innocence that it depicts through a very whimsical atmosphere that’s just somehow perfect in its execution. The fact that the melody carries a Celtic/Irish flavor is an added bonus since that’s not a quality that I see often in anime soundtracks and variety, in my book, is always a good thing. Also, this track opened my eyes to composer Takefumi Haketa whose compositions have been impressive overall.

Week 16 – Yoko Kanno
Anime Title: Brain Powered
Track Title: Spark
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Comments: When I decided upon our first featured composer, Yoko Kanno was a natural pick since her works span many different types of shows and in general, they’ve been quite excellent. The tracks picked for that week were pretty good, but this gem proved to be a little different, starting with that discordant bit in the beginning which might very well have been a turn-off if one were to stop there. Listening further though, would yield quite a musical treat that mixes dissonance with the epic to really keep one off-guard in terms of what to expect, at least, until halfway through the track where it starts showing its true colors as a piece depicting some sort of an epic finale. It’s the unconventional Kanno that I really like here and this effort shows why she’s pretty much at the top of most people’s lists when they have to name anime composers.

Week 23 – Electric Guitar
Anime Title: Geneshaft
Track Title: IDENTIFICATION
[Audio clip: view full post to listen]
Comments: Omonomono had blogged about this particular week with the note that as far as anime soundtracks go, rock music doesn’t actually feature prominently in the BGM. Needless does manage to fill that gap (and I’m working on giving that soundtrack my full attention), but before Needless, there was Geneshaft. In “Identification,” no time is wasted as the piece dives into the melody while delivering on the action that this piece depicts. Through it, you can hear some pretty awesome riffs and distortions that really hold your attention and lend an air of intensity. If this is representative of what the rest of the soundtrack has to offer, I’ll certainly have to look into it!

So as we start the nomination process for Week 26 (dealing in badassery), I’ve also put up a survey to better gauge people’s backgrounds and how well the club is serving its purposes. We also have a slew of year-end activities to look forward to, mostly in putting together a compilation of the best tracks nominated this year, so definitely keep an eye out for that. Either way, here’s to another 6 months of awesome anime music!